title: Operative techniques in association with arrhythmia surgery in patients with congenital heart disease.
abstract: Arrhythmia surgery in patients with congenital disease is challenged by the range of anatomic variants, arrhythmia types, and intramyocardial scar location. Experimental and clinical studies have elucidated the mechanisms of arrhythmias for accessory connections, atrial fibrillation, atrial reentry tachycardia, nodal reentry tachycardia, focal or automatic atrial tachycardia, and ventricular tachycardia. The surgical and transcatheter possibilities are numerous, and the congenital heart surgeon should have a comprehensive understanding of all arrhythmia types and potential methods of ablation. The purpose of this article is to introduce resternotomy techniques for safe mediastinal reentry and to review operative techniques of arrhythmia surgery in association with congenital heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Florida Hospital for Children, Congenital Heart Institute, Orlando, FL 32804, USA. constantine.mavroudis.md@flhosp.org
authors.forename: Constantine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mavroudis
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deal
authors.forename: Carl L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Backer
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans
keywords: ablative therapy (all modalities); arrhythmia; arrhythmia surgery (includes maze); atrial fibrillation; congenital heart surgery; flutter